Lifeboats
by BJArthur
Summary: And when I wake, you're there; I'm saved. D/G/B OneShot inspired by Snow Patrol. rated for non-public displays of affection.


so this is Lifeboats, somewhat inspired by the Snow Patrol song titled the same. it goes in between _**Crack the Shutters**_ and _**Not the Early Morning Routine**_, connecting those two together. it's Draco/Ginny/Blaise, so if that bothers you, feel free to leave. i actually originally wrote it to be a lot more risque than it's posted, but... well, it seemed a little stiff that way, a bit like cardboard. Blaise still looks like Gary Lightboy (can't get away from that guy, geez), but i've added a bit of a Spanish-flare to him. Draco's an introvert, and just because he's feeling something doesn't mean that it's broad-casted all over his person. i think that after about 17 years of living with his father, he'd learn how to keep his thoughts to himself. and just so you guys know, this doesn't all happen within the span of a single day. think in terms of over the coarse of a few weeks at best. hope y'all enjoy!

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Draco Malfoy had always been a rather quiet boy. As an infant, he hadn't screamed as normal infants did. When he was a child, he had giggled softly at things that amused him rather than laughing boisterously and running through the halls of Malfoy Manor. It wasn't until he started attending Hogwarts did he begin to get particularly mouthy. But that had stopped recently. For Draco knew, better than anyone perhaps, what went bump in the night. Fuck, it lived in his house for almost a year. It didn't always. It wasn't until his father failed in the Ministry Massacre that Voldemort came to stay. And though the monster had been defeated and his father locked away, their presence lingered in Draco's life. He had never felt so alone, so isolated. There was no one for him to talk to, to lean on who would understand just what it was like. After the Aurors had collected his father for Azkaban, Draco had thought about talking to his childhood friend, Blaise Zabini. Blaise had always fascinated the blonde boy. He was cool and sweet and nothing like the men Draco had ever known before.

But then Blaise got a new girlfriend and Ginevra Weasley began to plague his thoughts as well. He was shocked at first, when he began to think of them together, of being together with them. Draco had never really been one to limit himself sexually, but he had never been attracted both physically and emotionally to two people before. Or anyone, really; usually it was a purely physical thing, a release from all the stress and tensions that had built up over the day or week.

When Draco saw Blaise and Ginevra together, though – their warmth with each other, their obvious love for one another – he had longed to be able to feel what they felt for himself. The more he saw it, the more he wanted it until Blaise and Ginevra were nearly all he thought about. He had hoped that the summer would temper his longing, but it only came back tenfold when he saw them at the opening feast. They had kissed and spoke in low tones while the other students had surged around them; if was as if they were on their own island in a sea of others before they separated to sit at their own respective house tables.

Draco often wondered just what exactly they were up to in Blaise's room, and then woke up sweating and panting in the middle of the night from dreams, fantasies of being a part of it. To Draco, Ginevra became his sun and Blaise his endless night. He knew he was obsessed and that it was most likely unhealthy, but he wanted them both too much to care.

-

Blaise noticed Ginevra Weasley for the first time in his fourth year. That was the year that Ireland trounced Bulgaria in the Quidditch World Cup by skill alone; the year of the first official Death Eater attack since Voldemort had been defeated the first time; that was the year of the Triwizard Tournament, of their first (and only, thank Merlin) Winter Ball; the year that Voldemort announced his official return to terrorizing society; and the year that Cedric Diggory died while winning the Triwizard Cup for Hogwarts. He had seen the littlest Weasley at all of these events, seen her reactions to them – her excitement, her fear, pain, happiness – and he was intrigued. She hadn't acted like her brother or fellow Gryffindors had. Her appearance was smaller, more Slytherin-like though he knew she felt each emotion just as deeply as those around her.

The following year, Blaise started talking to her. It was innocent at first, just a few comments here and there in the hallways. Nothing that would make her think that he was being mean, just a few pointers on avoiding the wrath of Umbridge a while longer (the fat cow seemed to have it out for Gryffindors, Weasleys especially). He started finding Gin in the library, meeting her down by the lake; it was all very casual though eventually he started to feel like his heart would beat right out of his chest. Slowly, he won her over.

In his sixth year, she was his. She was a bright fire, a beacon in the darkness that seemed to consume all of Slytherin. Her brother wasn't happy about it. Their houses looked at them both with shame, though Dumbledore thought it was brilliant. While war was beginning to clout the air, Blaise and Gin made their own plots for late night strolls and plans for their life after the war. When Draco let the Death Eaters in, Blaise refused to leave her and fought anyone who threatened her. Because of this, the Weasley's weren't quite as leery as they had been about him before, though they still sometimes looked at him sideways. He had even managed to score an invitation to Gin's family home for the summer. Of course, they had to be in separate rooms, but that didn't stop them from finding time to be together. This year, they didn't even bother with pretense: she moved in to his private room with him and rarely ever set foot in her own Common Room. They were going to get married any way; it was only a matter of time.

The only thing that was beginning to bother Blaise was the strange feeling that something was missing. Something essential to their relationship wasn't present and until it was they would be left unfulfilled. And he felt like a cad because Gin was his everything. They had fought side-by-side during the war, had protected one another fiercely. He loved her more than he ever thought he could love anyone; why, then, did he feel this way? And why did he think he could find the solution in a fellow blonde Slytherin? He had never been attracted to men before, but Draco Malfoy kept catching his attention in the same ways that his Gin did. It had started one day in the Charms corridor. Blaise hadn't been watching where he had been going and bumped into Draco, nearly knocking the other boy down. Luckily, Blaise had caught him, but something had happened. When Blaise had looked into those silver eyes, it was almost as if a world had opened up inside his head. He'd never really noticed just how well Draco... fit before. It was like finding a puzzle piece you hadn't even realised you had been missing.

Blaise stared at the canopy of his bed, wondering how to broach this topic with his girlfriend. He loved her dearly, but he didn't want to risk her over reacting. Being a red head and a Weasley, Gin was prone to fits of temper unmatched by anyone else, except for other red haired Weasleys. Granted those fits were few and far between, but he didn't want to potentially risk life or limb. Draco had been weighing on his mind for a little over a month now and it wasn't fair keeping it from her, even if she could potentially blow up at him. Literally.

"Ginevra, do you ever get the feeling that... well, that there's something missing?" The red haired Gryffindor rolled over and looked at her boyfriend, considering.

"What do you mean, Blaise?"

"Well..." strong fingers plucked at the bedspread covering them, "it's not that I'm unhappy with you – I honestly think you're the best thing that ever happened to me – but sometimes I feel that we're... missing something." Ginny frowned but slid closer to the seventh year Slytherin.

"How long have you felt this way?" she asked, placing a hand over his. A tanned shoulder shrugged and dark eyes flitted over to hers.

"Since just after midterms."

Ginny thought for a moment. Midterms for that semester were right before Halloween. What had they been doing since then? How had Blaise changed? Well, he hadn't really changed at all; he was still magnificent in and out of the bedroom. The only thing that was significantly different was that someone had started watching her boyfriend. A blonde haired, grey eyed someone who had started hanging out with them slightly more than he had previously since the beginning of the year.

"Does this have something to do with Malfoy?" Blaise paled then blushed and looked away.

"I don't know... maybe. I just... I'm really confused, Gin. You're everything I always wanted, and I've never thought about guys the way I think about you, but when I look at Draco... it's almost the same. I've known Draco my whole life, and then one day we run into each other outside the Charms room and I catch him before he can fall and it was like.... Having him in my arms, Gin, was like holding you but not. It was... different, but not bad."

Ginny was silent for a moment, processing this information.

"I love you, Gin," he hastened to explain when all she did was blink, "same as I always have. You're still the light of my life; but..." Blaise trailed off, not knowing how to continue. Ginny sighed and sat up, hugging the black silk sheets to her front so they wouldn't fall and expose too much. Though they lived together and knew every inch of each other's bodies, she still had a sense of modesty; he loved that about her.

"I don't think that your attraction is completely one-sided, Blaise. He watches you, you know," she said, staring at the opposite wall rather than her boyfriend. "When he knows you're not looking, he'll watch you. It's almost as if he's trying to memorize your face before it changes. I've caught him a few times, but I never really thought about it." Now she turned to him, trying to blink back tears and keep her face from crumbling. "This isn't fair, Blaise. Everything we went through, the scrutiny of both our houses to be together, all the fights I've had with my brother over us, and now this. Someone else looks your way, a boy no less, and you're telling me what? That holding him is like holding me, that it's different but not in a bad way. And he's around so often these days, at meals, showing up during our study time, coming to walk with you to classes. And he's... he's _Draco Malfoy_, Blaise; how can I _compete _with someone like him?"

Blaise sat up and scooted across the bed to take her him his arms.

"No, not compete, _never _compete. Ginevra you are my sun, my warmth, my _fire_. Even if Draco and I were to... do anything, he could _never _replace what you are to me. I _need _you, Ginevra, _always_. I don't want you to leave; I want to be able to work through this with you. But Draco... there is something undeniably... it's difficult to put into words. But I can't just ignore it, not any more. I don't know what to do about it, but I can't simply ignore the fact that it's there."

Ginny's head rested on his shoulder. She couldn't bring herself to move even though she wasn't quite sure whether she should be touching him right then. If she were to be honest with herself, she had felt an attraction to the blonde boy as well but the thought of being with any one other then Blaise was... it wasn't even a thought. Blaise was it for her regardless of any attraction she felt for Draco.

"I'm not going to help you bag him, Blaise. If you need time alone to think things through, that's fine. But I'm not going to help facilitate you cheating on me with him." Blaise winced.

"I'm not _asking _that, Gin. I wasn't even thinking it. Honestly, my thoughts were more along the lines of us... all three of us. You know... _together_." Now Ginny drew away, frowning.

"What do you mean, the three of us _together_?" Blaise blushed and looked at his lap.

"I mean I don't just think about myself with him.... Sometimes I imagine watching the two of you or your watching him and me and it's... it's very arousing. Merlin, the thought of the three of us is mind blowing; I can't imagine what it might be like in reality. And that's just us _in bed_. The possibility of being able to love both of you, is... not something I've ever really thought about, but it _certainly _isn't unappealing. Not that any of this might actually become reality. I mean, who _knows _what he'd be up for and I'd never do anything without your okay first, which is why I'm telling you all this even though it's all very awkward and I still don't even know if it's exactly what I want."

"_Blaise_," she said, stopping him before he could go on, "you're rambling. Give me a minute; I need to think." She scooted away from him and laid back down, her back to him and her eyes closed. It seemed easier to think about all of this when she was completely relaxed.

Blaise wanted a threesome with Draco Malfoy, a threesome with the potential to turn into something more than just sex. He seemed to be asking her permission and her opinion about this at the same time. It was one thing to allow Blaise to pursue a... _relationship _with someone else all by his own; but to pursue this relationship _with _him? Ginny wanted Blaise to be happy, of course, but she also wanted to be happy. Could she be with two boyfriends? Maybe if she wanted them the same way they wanted her. But Malfoy seemed much more interested in Blaise then he was in Ginny; how could they have a harmonious relationship if he didn't even like her that way? There was no indication of Malfoy wanting Ginny at all. And Ginny had no idea how she really felt about the blonde Slytherin. Thinking about it, she wasn't averse to maybe dating him, but he had a horrible mouth on him. Draco tended to say very mean things to her or about her and Ginny wasn't sure if he'd be able to stop even for Blaise's sake. If they all did end up getting together, Blaise would be the only one who would end up truly happy; Malfoy and Ginny would merely end up tolerating each other for Blaise's sake. And that wasn't fair at all.

This was all simply conjecture, though. There was absolutely no way to tell how anything would turn out without talking to the blonde man himself. Ginny sighed; she could see that conversation going several ways, the worst being that he laugh right out at her boyfriend and crush him completely.

"I want you be happy, Blaise," she said, still lying down. "But I don't know if _I_'d be able to be happy with Malfoy. In order for any relationship to work there has to be mutual affection and trust from all parties involved. And Malfoy and I don't have that. As far as I know, he's only interested in _you_. And I don' t think that it would be fair to me or to Malfoy if you went with both of us; one of us would end up being seen as your bit on the side simply because he and I don't really like each other that way. I don't believe in relationships where someone is unhappy. They just never work."

Blaise was silent for a moment.

"If Draco would be happy with you too," he asked slowly, "if he could be happy the same way with the both of us, would you consider it? Do you think that you could be happy with him?" Ginny turned onto her back and looked at him.

"Honestly, I don't know. I mean, two years ago I never thought I'd be happy with _you _and yet here we are. So I suppose anything is possible. But that would really depend on if he could make me happy and if I, in turn, could make him happy. We won't really know until we talk to him, if we decide to put everything on the line like this. I don't want you to be too disappointed if none of this works out, Blaise. This has great potential to all go horribly wrong, you know." Blaise sighed and reclined next to her, sitting against the headboard.

"I know," he said, running his hand through her hair. "But I just... I feel like we should at least _try_, Gin. We've been together for about a year now, and I know we're strong with each other. I don't think this could tear us apart, but this is something that I would like for the both of us, the _three _of us if we can manage it. We can make him happy, Gin; after all he's been through last year and over the summer, I think he deserves that at least."

Ginny thought a moment, then turned into him and slung an arm over his lap, kissing his hip before looking up at him.

"If you really want this and think it could work, then I'm willing to try." Blaise smiled at her and ran his hand from her hair to her back.

"Thank you, Ginevra. I really think it could if we want it to."

---

"Hey Draco!" Blaise jogged through the hallway to catch up with the blonde boy, Ginevra shaking her head as she followed after him. "Draco, wait up!" Draco paused on his way to the Great Hall and turned. "Hey, Gin and I were going to do some studying in the library after lunch. Want to join us?" Draco frowned slightly and looked at the red haired girl, who simply smiled and shrugged.

"Blaise's potions capabilities are only so good; after a while there are questions even he can't answer. I don't have a problem if you think you might be able to help."

Draco looked at the ground and managed to control the heat rushing to his face. Draco knew that Blaise and Ginevra were exclusively together, but they were both so great together he couldn't help but watch them and wonder what it would be like if their attention was on him too. And they were offering a whole period with just the two of them? He'd been trying to work up the gumption to talk to Blaise about more than just school work, maybe coax a 'guys trip/fantasise about snogging Blaise senseless behind the Shrieking Shack trip' into Hogsmead one weekend, but having them offer a whole free period was not that bad a step. Usually he had to find them if he wanted to spend time with one or both of them (Blaise mostly, because he didn't think the Ginevra would be as receptive to him; she scared him a little, but in a good way). They had never actively invited him to be with them before. It was thrilling and scary and Draco had to catch himself before he read too much into it and over reacted.

"I suppose I might be able to be of some assistance," he said, mentally cringing at how formal he sounded. "If you know anything about astronomy, maybe we can barter for information." She smiled and Draco felt something lurch inside his chest.

"Sounds fantastic; I'm already helping Blaise a bit with that so it shouldn't be too hard to help you, too." Draco looked at Blaise and smirked, trying to be as charming and irresistible as possible. Unfortunately, years of pratish behaviour caught up with him and roared it's ugly, habitual head.

"I had no idea the Weaslette's usefulness extended to outside the bedroom, Blaise." Ginevra's golden eyes flashed in anger and pain, and Draco visualised pitching himself off the astronomy tower for being such a moron. But he was a Malfoy and therefore couldn't take it back (it was against the Family Code of Ethics), so he forged on ahead and hoped that he hadn't dug himself a hole he couldn't get out of. "I can only hope I prove just as useful."

'_Great, Draco,' _he chided himself, mentally rolling his eyes._ 'You go from sexually insulting to sexual innuendo. Now they're _really_ going to want _you_.'_

"I'm sure you're useful at anything you put your mind to," Blaise said as cheerfully as possibly while Ginevra visibly struggled with the accidental slight Draco's prickish mouth had tossed her way.

"Well, I would very much like to help if you need me to," the blonde tried to amend, looking into Ginny's golden brown eyes. She stared back at him, suddenly unsure about this whole 'woo-Draco' thing she and Blaise worked out, but her boyfriend gave her hand a reassuring squeeze so she smiled again (though smaller then last time) and nodded. She turned to the dark haired boy and tugged on him slightly.

"I'll see you in the library after lunch, then?" Blaise frowned. He had been counting on the three of them being together for a while to sort of get a feel for the dynamics between them all.

"You're not going to be sitting with us?" She shook her head and Draco tried not to be mesmerized by how the light shifted in her fiery hair.

"No, I'm sitting with my brother and his friends today. I'll be back with you for meals tomorrow, though." Blaise's frown deepened. Gin was usually better at giving him a bit warning when she was leaving him for her brother during meals.

"Your brother's a prat." One side of Ginevra's mouth tilted up.

"Be that as it may, he also taught me how to tie my shoes so I'm going to be sitting with him today." Once again, Draco's mouth ran away from him.

"I could teach you a spell that will tie your shoes for you," he scoffed. "You should sit with us." Blaise shot his girlfriend a triumphant gleam as he nodded. Ginevra giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Ron is my brother and I love him, so I'm sitting with him and his friends during meals today. But I love you, too," she said, raising up on her toes to kiss her boyfriend, "which is why I'm mostly in your room doing things I'd never _dream _telling my beloved brother about. So meditate on that during lunch and have a good time sitting with Draco."

Draco's heart leapt up into his throat when she said his name; it sounded just as wonderful coming from her lips as it did coming from Blaise's. And the thought of being in Blaise's room for any sort of activity that would send Ginevra's brother into an apoplectic fit was... probably something he should avoid thinking about in public areas if he wished not to embarrass himself. He wasn't quite ready to leave her company, though, so one last ditch effort was required to get her to sit with them.

"Neither of you were at breakfast this morning," Draco said once he had control of himself again. "Your plan to sit every meal with your oafish brother is therefore flawed and void, so you should sit with us instead." Ginny blushed.

"Blaise and I got a little... _busy _this morning and nicked something from the kitchens before class. Which is also why I wasn't able to tell you until now," she said, turning to her boyfriend. "You know I don't usually forget unless you make me." Blaise smirked, remembering exactly what he had done to make her forget all kinds of things that morning. Then he thought of what he could possibly do to make the blonde man forget things, and what he and Draco could do to Gin, and Blaise had to shift his bag a bit so he didn't give either of them the wrong idea.

"Draco and I will have a grand time, then," Blaise said, dropping Gin's hand to sling an arm around Draco's shoulders. "You'll see us across the Great Hall laughing and falling over ourselves and looking as delicious as we do and you'll wish you were with us rather than your foolish brother."

Draco kept himself from hyperventilating at the thought of Blaise thinking he was delicious... and touching him while he said it. Ginevra grinned and stepped closer to the boys. She placed a hand on Blaise's cheek and kissed him again while grabbing one of Draco's hands for a quick squeeze (she had to make up for not sitting with them somehow).

The blonde seventh year almost fainted at the combined contact. They were both touching him, voluntarily, at the same time. A sharp mental slap kept him from acting like a girl. They weren't even really paying attention to him and he was being a complete _idiot _about it. Though Ginevra touching him _was _odd; she'd never done it before and after his thoughtless previous comments, he almost wanted to question what her motivation was behind it. But he was enjoying it too much to do anything bur revel in it.

"Of course I will," she said, releasing them both though not taking a step back. "But I'm going to have both of you to myself in the library; that thought will keep me from throttling Ron, I'm sure."

Draco's hand continued to tingle long after she had waved goodbye and moved passed them. Blaise's arm and warm body were nearly the only things keeping him upright after watching them kiss like that, innocent though it had been. Blaise clapped him on the shoulder and chuckled, watching his girl move off down the hallway.

'_She's looking forward to seeing me,_' Draco thought, dazed though his face was carefully blank.

"She really is something, isn't she?" Draco made a vague noise in agreement, yet thankfully managed to keep a sound of protest o himself when Blaise's arm dropped from around him.

He tried to listen to what Blaise was saying as they made their way to the Great Hall after her, but he was having a hard time forming coherent thoughts. The sound of Blaise's voice, the lingering warmth around his shoulders and down the side of his body, and the tingling he still felt in his hand managed to keep him acutely aware of just how close Blaise was walking next to him. It also kept him wondering when he'd be able to touch one or both of them again. It had been sweet torture, watching them effortlessly interact. He longed to be like that with them.

Lunch went by quickly, and Draco almost longed for a few minutes to himself. He didn't want to embarrass himself as he had in the hall, eager though he was to be in the company of the objects of his desire once more. Blaise had to stop by his room to gather some materials and Draco, lingering in the doorway, had to shift his bag in front of himself when he caught sight of the large bed. He knew that Blaise and Ginevra had been on that bed just that morning and the thought of the two of them together was a little more then he needed right then.

"I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who doesn't get all that star business," Blaise said as they sat at an empty table. Ginevra hadn't arrived yet as Gryffindor Tower was further away from the library then the Slytherin Dungeons were.

"Well, for sake of accuracy, I think we should wait for your girlfriend before we work on Astronomy."

Draco and Blaise got their class notes out and started on their Transfiguration homework together. Draco couldn't help but think that this was how things were supposed to be. Every now and then, Draco would write something and Blaise would look at it, chuckle, then move Draco's hand so he could cross it out and write over it.

"It sounds better if you phrase it differently," the dark haired boy would say, pointing out proposition, comma and other stylistic errors. Draco, similarly, would look over Blaise's work and cross things out, stating that Blaise should probably pay more attention in class. Of course, Blaise would look at him and smirk, saying that there were far more interesting things to pay attention to in Transfiguration then the Theory of Substantial Particles. Draco couldn't help but hope that Blaise meant paying attention to him instead. They worked in harmony for about 15 minutes before Ginevra rushed through the library's double doors.

"I'm _so_ sorry I'm late," she said in a harsh whisper; Madam Pince was still glaring at her for her noisy entrance. "It took _forever_ to get away from Ron and then I couldn't find my Potion's notes from last class and –" Blaise grabbed the back of her head and silenced her with a swift kiss. Almost immediately, the red haired Gryffindor relaxed. Draco watched them and felt uncomfortable, both for feeling like an intruder and for wanting to join in.

"Hi," the dark haired boy said once he released her. Dark blue eyes shone into golden brown and the grey eyed boy wished he could be the recipient of that kind of love.

"Hi."

"Draco wanted to wait for you before we started on Astronomy. We've been doing Transfiguration instead."

"Okay; I have a short Charms assignment to do if you guys aren't finished yet." Blaise gave Ginevra a crooked smile and Draco's chest thumped.

"Maybe 10 minutes?" Ginevra beamed; Draco's chest tightened.

"10 minutes is fine." Blaise gave her two short kisses and Draco had to look away.

The two Slytherin seventh years took up their Transfiguration homework again but Draco had lost his stride. The sudden appearance of the red head and the kiss she and Blaise had shared still played loops in his mind, distracting him quite efficiently from focusing on anything important. Instead, he settled on staring at Blaise out of the corner of his eye while filling the rest of his paper with fluff. Every now and then Blaise would lean over and ask him a question, his voice low and breath whispering across the blonde's neck. Draco had to contain a shiver and forced himself to answer in the same. Draco was sure that the slight tremble in the dark haired boy's hands wasn't from his voice sliding into the Blaise's ear, though. He was imagining things, to be sure. But why Ginevra would smirk at her Charms homework was a bit beyond him.

Of course, she wasn't smirking at her correct answers. Ginny was watching her boyfriend and the boy next to him interact. They were flirting with each other, trying to trip one another up without letting the other know. Ginny remembered when Blaise was trying to catch her attention, he'd tell her things or ask her something all the while leaning over so that her skin would become hyper aware of him. From what the girls in other houses said, Draco did the same thing. She doubted they even noticed exactly what they were doing, but the affect was clearly obvious, at least to her. They were speaking so low that she couldn't quite catch what they were saying, even though she was only across the table from them. True, it hurt to see the boy she loved flirt with someone else, but this was going to be okay; the three of them would work well together, Blaise was convinced.

Ginny just hoped he was right.

"Querida, are you done?" Ginny looked at her dark eyed man and smiled.

"Yes, I'm done. Are you two ready for Astronomy?" The Slytherins smirked and put their Transfiguration work away and brought out their star-marked books. They were currently studying the winter sky, with a focus on the Canis Major and Lepus constellations.

"Okay, these two are easy because they're right next to each other." Ginny leaned over the desk and pointed at the small scale map of the night sky. Draco too leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. His face was turned downward, but his attention was glued to the gap in the red head's shirt. He could see just a little bit of her white laced bra and imagined for a moment what she would look like: innocent lace bra, his dark green sheets tangled around her waist, her hair spread around her head like a firebrand, her soft rose-and-cream skin dotted with freckles and love bites, golden eyes half-lidded with desire. His lips thinned as he suppressed a groan and Draco forced his eyes back to the slightly rolled parchment before him.

Blaise was reclined back in his chair, arm slung across the back of his fellow's chair, as he surveyed the two before him. Their hair fell in front of them, an intriguing mesh of snow and fire. He could see them as he wanted in his mind's eye, naked under Blaise's black sheets, heads tilted towards one another, their hands entwined. It was a striking match, he knew. He could also see the three of them sleeping, cuddled together. It was an image he planned on making reality, hopefully sooner rather than later.

And they did work well together. Draco would ask a question, pointing to a place on the map, and Gin would answer kindly, her tone all business (which Blaise found a bit of a turn on), and she would move Draco's hand to another point on the map to demonstrate how that star was in relation to others in the sky. Blaise would sometimes lean in and point out something inane just to tangle his own hands in the mix. The three of them really were stunning together, and he knew they all worked well with each other. Well, when Draco could control his mouth that is. And he was doing a very admirable job of keeping the pratish behaviour to a minimum, which both Blaise and Ginny appreciated.

They worked on Astronomy for half an hour then switched to Potions. Blaise suggested that Draco move around to Gin's side of the table to help her better, but really he wanted to see how they got along without him directly in the picture. He needed to know if there was an actual attraction between the two or if his hopes for a harmonious and united relationship between them would always be just that – hopes, and never reality.

"What I don't understand is how the oak leaves keep the reaction from happening at all," Ginny said, frowning over her Potions text book. "Oak leaves are normal objects; how could something so ordinary stave off such a violent reaction?"

"It's not the oak leaves that are reacting in this potion," Draco told her, pointing to a passage. "The chemical makeup of bicorn blood makes it rather unstable. Because of the properties found in oak, the leaves act as a stabilizing agent, keeping the potion from exploding."

"Why can't the bark be used then? It's just as stable as the leaves"

"Photosynthesis strengthens the stabilizing properties of the oak. And it would look really weird if Muggles were find wizards de-barking random oak trees. Leaf picking isn't quite as strange." Ginny giggled, surprising herself. Draco could actually be rather funny when he felt like it. And he hadn't really insulted her at all since she arrived; merely quick little jabs that were meant more jokingly then as an actual barb. Maybe there was merit in Blaise's little plan after all.

---

"_You think you can honestly get away from me, boy?"_

"_No! Don't hurt them!"_

"_You've forsaken your family for a tramp and a traitor!"_

"_Please! Just leave them alone!"_

"_Carnifico Courpus!"_

"_NO!"_

-

Draco woke in a cold sweat. Nightmare still fresh in his mind, he leapt out of bed, tore down the hall and pounded on Blaise's door.

"Blaise! Blaise, open the door!" He had to make sure they were okay, that they weren't the bloody mess he dreamt his father had left them. After two agonizing minutes, the door finally opened revealing a bleary eyed boy with dark hair sticking up clad in nothing but boxers.

"Draco?" Blaise mumbled. "What're you doing?"

"I-I had a... um... I needed to see if..." Draco trailed off, suddenly feeling incredibly foolish.

"Blaise, what's going on?" a voice came from behind the other boy and Draco wished the ground would just open up and swallow him already. Ginevra, rumpled and sleepy-looking in one of Blaise's oxford shirts, came up to her boyfriend's side. She was frowning slightly, but the look turned to one of concern once she saw it was Draco on the other side of the door.

"Draco, what's wrong?" she asked, one of her hands sliding into her boyfriend's. "You look like you've seen a ghost." Draco tried not to blush at his own idiocy.

"I-I apologize," he said once his oral factory stared working again. "I shouldn't have woken you. It's not that important – "

"Nonsense," Ginny interrupted, beginning to channel her mother. "Anything that has you pounding on our door at two in the morning is automatically important." Her free hand reached out and pulled him inside, allowing Blaise to close the door. "Come on, you're freezing, Draco. Get in the bed; no use being cold when we can be under blankets instead."

Ginny, genuinely concerned for Draco's well being, guided him towards the bed then moved so she could straighten the sheets up a bit. Draco baulked and looked over at Blaise, but the dark haired boy was yawning and already getting comfortable on his side of the bed. Blaise was actually very proud of his girlfriend for reaching out to Draco and doing a bang-up job (if he did say so himself) of hiding his glee at the prospect of sleeping with his two favourite people.

"Just get in, Drake," Blaise mumbled. "She won't leave it alone until you do."

Draco walked over to Ginevra's side where the suddenly maternal red-head was holding the sheets back for him to slide between. He got in, moving down towards Blaise so there was room for Ginevra. She surprised him again, though, when she put her arms around his shoulders and had him rest so that his head was against the crook of her neck. Even stranger was when Blaise came up behind him and slung an arm around his waist, hand resting over his heart and legs tangled together.

Draco wasn't quite sure what to do; he was still reeling from the terror he'd imagined and massive embarrassment of causing a scene. Then suddenly here he was, between the two people he had come to care for more than his own self. This was everything he'd always wanted but had never dared to ask for. It couldn't possibly be forever, though, and Blaise and Ginevra most likely wouldn't even remember inviting him into their bed in the morning. If they did remember, he convinced himself, they would most likely insist that the action was purely platonic and meant little more than helping a friend.

"Now tell us what's wrong, Draco." Ginevra kissed the top of his head and brought a hand up to stroke his white-blonde hair.

"I-I don't..."

"You had a nightmare, didn't you?" Blaise rumbled against his back.

"I-"

"Oh, Draco." Ginevra's hand moved to the hair on the back of his neck and Draco had to stop himself from stretching like a cat into her touch.

"Really, it's-"

"He had them over the summer, too." Blaise's hand squeezed gently, reassuringly, where it rested on his chest. "About his father, I think."

"Well, you're father is a very scary man, Draco. But he's in Azkaban; he can't get you here."

"It's not me I'm worried about," the blonde mumbled before he could catch himself.

"Is it your mother? Are you worried that he'll find a way to get her from Azkaban?" Ginevra's thumb started rubbing the back of his neck and Blaise's fingers started caress the skin of his chest and Draco, encased in their warm embrace, began to fall under sleep's spell against his will.

"No, I..." Draco trailed off, not sure how to tell the objects of his heart's desire how much he cared about them. "I thought he had gotten to... uh..."

"It's okay, mate," Blaise placed a soft kiss on the top of Draco's spine, right below where Gin's thumb was. "Everyone here is safe."

Draco squeezed his eyes shut and blocked out the images of Blaise and Ginevra's mangled bodies, blocked out the sound of his father's cold laughter. It wasn't worth dreading what would never happen; his father was in Azkaban for war-crimes. Tonight he'd give into his dream of being loved by the two he loved the most. His right arm came up and clung to Ginevra's waist as his other hand caught Blaise's elbow and held them to him. Even though it was probably only for a night, Draco didn't want to lose them.

Blaise, once he was quite sure that Draco was a little more than half asleep, kissed the sensitive skin behind Draco's ear and snuggled in closer.

"We have you now," he whispered, "and I promise we won't let you go. You can have us forever if you'd like." His dark eyes caught Gin's golden brown in the pale moonlight shining from the window. She leaned over and kissed him sweetly, softly, then moved back and drifted off to sleep. Blaise couldn't have been happier.

Draco woke the next morning convinced he was still dreaming: not the night terror from before but the sweet fantasy that came after. There was no way on earth that he could ever possibly actually wake up surrounded by Ginevra and Blaise, so he must have still been dreaming, right? His pale hand flexed against Ginevra's ribcage, bringing her closer to him. Her hands still held his head to her chest and the swell of her breast was tantalizingly close to his mouth. The gap in the shirt she wore allowed Draco access to her unbearably smooth looking, peach coloured skin and Draco bit his bottom lip to keep himself from groaning. But he wasn't able to stop himself from trailing a few kisses on the supple flesh in front of him, tracing around the sleep-flushed mound and gently sinking his teeth into the lowest part accessible. Ginevra moaned and for a moment he was worried that he had woke her up, but she only moved closer to him, her breasts now right in front of him practically begging for his attention. His hand slid from her ribcage, over the valley of her waist to the roundness of her hip, the landed so he was gripping her thigh tightly. He shifted her leg so it slung over his, successfully drawing her closer to him.

"She is irresistible when she sleeps, isn't she?" came Blaise from behind him, and Draco froze. He shouldn't be doing this with his best friend's girl, even if he thought himself half in love with the both of them.

"Blaise, I'm so sorry. I know she's your girlfriend and I shouldn't have-"

"It's okay," Blaise said, a smile in his voice as he trailed his hand down Draco's front. "I've actually been wondering if you were as attracted to her as I was. I have to say that I've noticed you watching me and well... to be honest I've been watching back." Long fingers brushed against the front of Draco's sleep pants, the appendage beneath stirring to life. "I talked to Gin about it, about you, and she wouldn't mind having the both of us. If, that is, you'd take us." Draco was silent and for a moment Blaise thought the blonde might reject them.

"I have a problem, though, Blaise," Draco said softly. This was the moment of truth for him; as scared as he was, he was too proud to have them if it meant nothing. "I feel for you and Ginevra more than I've ever felt for anybody. I've never wanted a commitment before from a relationship, but the two of you... you two make me want one. So I wouldn't be able to be with you if this were only physical, as satisfying as just that might be. But I've... I've seen you and Ginevra together and I don't think I'd ever forgive myself if cheapened what I feel for you. If we were to try this, it would have to be equal all around. You would belong to Ginevra and I, and she would belong to us, and it would all be equal."

"You would have to agree to belong to her and I as well, Draco. I've talked to her about it and we won't do this unless you're all for it. She wants you, I want you," Blaise pressed up against Draco's behind and Draco groaned at the long thickness he found. "And it's more than just physical. All year we've felt an absence, a hole that only you seem to fill. Last night... that felt right, the three of us sleeping together. We want your heart, Draco, if you'll have ours."

Draco turned his head to look at the boy with dark blue eyes. Sincerity shone through, and hope and most of all, love. Blaise wanted Draco's love and would give his in return if asked for.

"You really want me?" he asked, nearly whispering. "The both of you?" Blaise smiled and nodded.

"Draco, you complete us." A kiss, sweet and soft, dropped onto Draco's lips before Blaise rested his forehead against the other boy's. "Will you have us?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation in the answer. Draco had longed for them for over a year and now it seemed like all his dreams and longings would come true. "I'll have you for as long as you want me." Blaise's smile grew and his kiss this time was thorough, meaningful and left Draco dizzy and breathless. Draco beamed at the other boy, at his boyfriend, and couldn't hold in a laugh.

"You two done yet?" came a sleepy yawn from the red-headed girl in front of them. Ginny stretched and cuddled closer, embracing the both of them. "Breakfast will be starting soon and I want to show you two off." Blaise chuckled.

"A little conceded, querida?"

"No, I just want to see Ron's face when I come in with not one Slytherin boyfriend, but _two_." Draco blinked at her.

"You really want this?" he asked, mildly stunned. "You're not just doing this for Blaise?" Ginevra looked at him, reassuring smile gracing her soft mouth.

"When Blaise first brought this up to me, I admit I had a little trouble with it. But these last few weeks, the more I've been around you the more I realise... how well you fit. I don't really know how to explain it..." Ginny trailed off, searching for the right words. "It was like I didn't even realise that something was missing until you came along and filled it. I might not love you as much as I love Blaise quite yet, but it's defiantly something I can see happening. And what's more, it's something that I _want_ to happen." She looked into his eyes, bright gold to stunning sliver, and caressed his cheek. "I care about you, Draco."

Draco bit his bottom lip, reading the honesty in her face, and leaned in slowly, still a little unsure. Her lips were warm and soft against his as he kissed her slowly. She made a sound in the back of her throat, a sigh that was almost a groan, and Draco kissed her deeper, slanting his mouth for better access to her own. She grasped the side of his head and held him to her, sinking into him and the sensations he caused. Her lips parted under his and his tongue swooped in, plundering the dark corners as he had so often dreamt of doing. Blaise chuckled behind them and they parted, gasping for air.

"While I'm glad you two get along, mi corazón, we're never going to make breakfast if we don't start moving." Draco turned toward him and shot him a smirk.

"We are moving, and you're more than welcome to join us." Ginevra laughed out right and Draco's smirk turned into a grin. _He'd_ made her smile and laugh; _he'd_ made Blaise tight with desire.

"He's right, though," the red-head said, sighing and sitting up. "We need to start moving."

Draco went back to his own room (reluctantly and only after two long and intense kisses from his new boy- and girlfriend) to shower and change. He did his best to keep himself in check, but couldn't stop giggling in the shower. He knew it went against the Family Code of Ethics and that generations of Malfoys were rolling in their graves, but he felt so giddy. He had wanted Blaise and Ginevra for so much for what felt like so long and finally he had them both. And _they wanted him_! This had to be the start of something worthwhile. If he felt this good about it now, Draco could hardly imagine how he'd feel in years to come. And he was nearly convinced that there would be years.

The blonde was perfectly composed again once he entered the Common Room. They weren't there and as he waited his heart sank. Had they lied to him? Did they actually not want him at all? But his doubts fled when Ginevra bound down the stairs and into his arms, Blaise smiling after her.

"Blaise is particularly handsy this morning," she warned him, golden eyes sparkling with delight. "He promised me that he wouldn't push things too far, but he sometimes can't help himself so if you start to feel uncomfortable don't feel bad about saying 'no'."

"I know you might be a bit uncomfortable showing public affection to another guy, so-" But Draco cut him off before Blaise could finish, sealing the dark-haired boy's mouth with his own. Draco raced one hand over the front of Blaise's body while holding the back of his head tightly, pale fingers infused in the soft, black tresses. He ravaged the other boy's mouth thoroughly, tracing every inch with his tongue. Blaise shivered against him and Draco's hand went to his ass, bringing his body solidly against his own. Blaise moaned and moved against him, creating heavenly friction between them, before Draco regained a bit of his senses and pulled back.

"How's _that _for uncomfortable?" he asked, panting. Ginevra threw her head back and laughed.

Oh yes, this was the start of something good.

* * *

just so y'all know: when Ginny thinks of herself, she's 'Ginny'. to Blaise, she's 'Gin' (unless he's being serious) and to Draco she's 'Ginevra'. the boys find 'Ginny' too juvenile for her, and thus choose to call her something more fitting.

"Carnifico Corpus" means something along the lines of "blow-up the body" in Latin. "querida" is the female version of "dear one" (or "duck" if you're Google Translator), and "mi corazón" means either "my heart" or "my hearts". i'm using it in the plural - Blaise is referring to both Ginny and Draco.

Lucius in Azkaban seemed to fit. not sure how to turn his life around in time for _**Not the Early Morning Routine**_. maybe it'll come to me later; who knows. don't forget to review and let me know what y'all think!


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